Black women 15 times more likely to contract HIV than white

–45% of all new HIV cases reported in the U.S. were in blacks, while they are only 12% of the population
–the CDC suggests that “poverty, stigma, limited access to health care” may “contribute” to higher infection rates in blacks.

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By no means would I ever expect CNN to raise the issue of lifestyle choices!

Let’s be honest and admit that promiscuity is the norm in the inner city black community and marriage is unusual. The abortion rate is very high for the same community as well. Is it any wonder that sexually transmitted diseases are high in this group?

“the CDC suggests that “poverty, stigma, limited access to health care” may “contribute” to higher infection rates in blacks.” This is our cowardly government being afraid to tell the truth for fear of being called “racist”. The truth IS the truth!

Might this not be spin on a topic by CNN to attack Obama indirectly, to bring the worst of uninformed, self serving Bigots???? One thing about AIDS, and HIV is the it does not discriminate by Race, Gender, Age, Religion….OH, promiscuity does not discrimiate either. The United State now has more divorces than it has marriage, so what does one mean by marriages is unsusal. One who does not live a pure life them selves should not throw stones when living in a glass house. Besides judgement is not a choice for those who follow.

pucky, you only substantiate what’s been said, when you admit that AIDS knows no racial or cultural boundaries. Cindy’s comment that marriage is “unusual” may have been a bit over the top, but it’s widely known through census reports, etc., that abortion, unwed motherhood, deadbeat dad’s, non-monogumous relationships, etc. run rampant in the black community.

Oh..and the divorce rate has zip to do with whether one is practicing “safe” sex. That red herring doesn’t swim anywhere.

I stand corrected. Sorry Cindy. I thought the comment was a bit over-the-top, but surely is a problem in the black community.

Hey…if you ask me it’s due to them being catered to (in lip service) by the Dems. They haven’t been taught self-accountability.

Bill Cosby (and others) have been trying to get this across for years, but it goes over like alead balloon. It’s just easier to say that the Republicans foisted AIDs and crack cocaine onto them in our victimhood society.

Let’s be honest and admit that promiscuity is the norm in the inner city black community and marriage is unusual. The abortion rate is very high for the same community as well

Steve Said:

it’s widely known through census reports, etc., that abortion, unwed motherhood, deadbeat dad’s, non-monogumous relationships, etc. run rampant in the black community

Thos comments above surmise the effect the media has on the perceptions within the inner city. Steve, where did you get your “rampant” abortion numbers from? Grant, What study told you that promiscuity is the norm?

It is biased opinons like this that highlight perceptions in America. Similarly, if Obama’s daughter was pregnant out of wedlock, somehow that would have been tied to inner-city out-of-welock mothers and an Oh, it’s the norm for Blacks type of Deal. Palin’s daughter gets pregnant out-of-wedlock and it’s “they are getting married” and “families are off limits.”

If this were an ideological forum, I would comment further. However, the opinions of those on this site have already been shaped and formed and enlightment will not happen.

I am a married (11 years), college educated, former inner-city resident, who did not engage in “rampant” non-monagmous sex, drugs, etc.

Cindy: regarding drug use that involves needles. Similar to Meth, Salvia, and whatever obscure drugs that are out there. That is not an inner-city problem, that is more of a suburban, small-twon problem. So you may want to strike that one example.

Dell, you didn’t mention whether you are black and that is the community I referred to. If you think that I was wrong, then you are the one that is in need of enlightenment!

“The differential between the abortion ratio for black women and that for white women has increased from 2.0 in 1989 (the first year for which black and other races were reported separately) to 3.0 in 2000 (51). In addition, the abortion rate for black women has been approximately 3 times as high as that for white women (range: 2.6–3.1) since 1991 (the first year for which rates by race were published) (52). These rates by race are substantially lower than rates previously published by NCHS and suggest that the reporting areas for the 2000 report might not be fully representative of the U.S. black female population of reproductive age. Census Bureau estimates and birth certificate data indicate that the large majority of Hispanic women report themselves as white (7). Therefore, data for some white women actually represent Hispanic women. ”

Tom, thank you, I would like to point out the hiv and aids are not always preventable: Hemophiliacs by blood transfusions, Sex partners when one cheats, medical people , fire and police personnal through accidental cutting , or body fluids exchanges. young or old people not ecucated. Senior aid and hiv are on the up swing as well. I do agree that of this stuff could be avoided through education and neddle exchange. Sex in going to happen no matter how regilous ones family may be. Human sensual desires are hard to control. If we put the money into research and education in stead of war a lot could be done for humanity. It’s a horrible way to day and I personally don’t beleive it is God’s will. I have a loving God not one of vengence.

HP – Agreed. HIV and AIDS can be accidentally contracted, and I should have clarified that. Your examples are correct, and the tragedy of Arthur Ashe illustrates this. But while examples like this are tragic beyond reckoning, they represent a terrifically small percentage of total cases. From a statistical standpoint, indiscriminate sex with unknown partners and the shared use of contaminated needles account for this disease. I share your belief that this is not God’s vengeance. I believe it is the consequence of poor choices and undisciplined behavior. As to putting more money into education, America has never spent more on such things, and it is time to ask what the investment that public education has made in this arena has yielded. If we tripled our expenditures it would not suffice. It is parents or guardians, taking an active, unapologetic, and courageous role in the lives of their children that will make the difference. Long term – nothing else will. All the money in the world will not suffice, as government simply does not have that kind of capability. Now what this means for children who don’t have guardians who can or will do this is a fair question. But that is a matter for a completely different discussion.

What Tom said…besides the fact that these “incidental” contractions would be diverse. They wouldn’t concentrate in one ethnic group (which happened to be the premise of the thread).

I rather doubt that many folks don’t know about AIDS, how it’s contracted or how to keep themselves from being contaminated. That’s about as far as education can take us IMHO.

Both Gov’t funded and private industry funded research have come a long way at being able to treat the disease. AIDS patients are living much longer and more productive lives as a result. However an ounce of prevention remains as the best protection.

The real issue here is that we have several virus that mutate: Aids and HIV, Bird Flue, and Medical Staff infectiosn. If we shift money form misguided war, we may have some choices in the future. If not, Oh Well. This is a world Issue. When a pandemic on our hands, there might be no return. We need to stop assuming thing are just going to work out. I one person dies it’s to much. The Bush adminstration buried its head for a long time. Then started to do something when it became politicaly correct.

Dan, although we often disagree, on your critique of hores pucky’s English you are correctly. He/she brutally uses everything which makes it impossible to point to one specific fault. He/she appears to be terribly uneducated unless he/she is a foreigner. No credibility due to him/her!

Dear Grant: When you have nothing intellegern to say, Bash them….Attack, Atack, Atack. You sound like McCain and Palin. No substance. By the way your english is worse than mine. Dan’s in not good either. But he is a 23 year genius.

For your information : I am a republican of over 50 years. I have two batchlor degrees, a masters and a fellowship. I’m over 70. And with all that , You need to try to think with your head and mouth, rather than anothr body part.

By your remarks and Dan’s you both might try to read even though neither of your english skills are any better then mine. One just need to read your replys to see that. If you have specifics you can’t comprend, just ask. I am more than willing to reply. Buy the way your words are that of a Bigot. “a foreigner” What is your family history.

I love how they fail to show that people of african descent are 40+% more likely to contract the hiv virus because of genetic factors. So in actuality, the reason for such a high incidence of hiv amongst the black american community, is due to lack of education yes, but more importantly high suspectibility. For example, while a non-black may have been exposed to hiv 10 times in there lifetime, due to lack of condom/slippage/breakage they mostly likely will not contract the virus. Wheareas with blacks, if you come in contact with it once — HUGH chance you will get the virus. Life just isnt fair.

What boggles my mind the most is all of the erroneous preconceived notions about promiscuous black women and HIV. At the end of the day, promiscuity dates as far back as Biblical times (reference Rahan in the book of Hebrews; check out the book of Genesis…) Were these women ALL African?

Nonetheless, women of color are hardly the only promiscuous human beings. What about the man who lives his life as a ‘happily married’ man but secretly has a male lover somewhere tucked neatly away? What about the gay male or lesbian female who has not openly ‘come out’ but engages in sexual intimacy with multiple partners? What about the wealthy housewife who is sleeping the poolboy, the gardener and whomever else will pay her a little attention?

At the end of the day, there are those who will continue to place blame for various issues on everyone else without objectively assessing their own role in the struggles of the people whom they so readily condemn.

At the end of the day, marriage in the inner city probably as common as divorce and drug use among those who pay handsomely for the priviledge of being permitted to believe they are somehow living in a utopian world void of social issues which affect those whose strength they wish they had.

At the end of the day, what are you going to do? Are you willing to continue to remain perched upon your imaginary throne and judge or will you figure out how to get down off your high horse, roll up your own sleeves and get involved in a fight that humans all over the world are losing. Literally, LOSING!

At the end of the day, you’re either a part of the solution or you’re a part of the problem. Pick a team and play on it, and shut up about everything else until you find something intelligent to say.

At EOD1, What have you assessed as the role bloggers / commentors have played in causing certain populations (as reported by the CDC) contracting HIV?

At EOD2, How common is marriage in the inner city? How common is divorce and drug use in the purchased utopia (suburbs?)? Why compare these 3 things… a biblical ideal (marriage) with a relationship failure (divorce) and a felony (drug use, presumable illegal drugs?)? Isn’t this a bit beyond apples and oranges? Whose strength is being envied… and whom are you infering lacks strength? Right is right and wrong is wrong no matter the numbers of people engaged in a behavior. Thomas Jefferson et al suggested that it is not situational. As did God before him. (BTW, can you diagram your sentence? It was quite the compact expression of a lot of ideas… rather like a big tossed salad. We may have to chew on that a while. Or gag on it.)

At EOD3, I did not see so much judgement passing as people considering anecdotal evidence which supported the findings of the government’s Center for Disease Control (CDC).

At EOD4, please consider that raising awareness is one step toward solving something. Kudos to Bill Cosby and others for attempting to improve the expectations young unfathered individuals may have of themselves to become better role models. Kudos to those who may help to fight HIV/AIDS. Kudos to others who may help in some way to fight other diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and the like even though such diseases may be precipitated by poor choices. Kudos to all who may help save us from our own poor self-esteem, self-destructive habits, and heal us… individually and collectively.